Chasing The Sun
by The Nutty One
Summary: 5 years ago, Michael Glass ran from the house with only the clothes on his back. And Shane Collins let him. Now, 5 years on, Shane spends his nights alone in the bar until someone walks into his life; someone he hasn't seen for half a decade. When he sees him, he realises he should never have let him go. Michael/Shane Slash! Small bit of Mpreg! Don't like, don't read!
1. Chapter 1

5 years ago, Michael Glass mysteriously disappeared with only the clothes on his back. And Shane Collins let him. Now, 5 years on, Shane spends his nights along in the bar until someone walks into his life; someone he hasn't seen for half a decade. When he sees him, he realises he should never have let him go. Michael/Shane Slash! Small bit of Mpreg! Don't like, don't read! Rated for later chapters!

**Chasing The Sun**

The whiskey glass felt heavy in his hand. The amber liquid covered the bottom of the glass, his fifth glass, and stared back at him with disgust. This was what he'd stooped to…a filthy inn. The table was sticky under his fingers and the glass clung to the cover of filth. Cobwebs hung in the corners of the square room, thick from lack of cleaning, their inhabitants scuttling around, waiting for unsuspecting prey to land in their deathly web.

There were four other people in the bar with him: two old men with flat caps that covered their eyes playing a game of cards, the smoke from their cigarette's slowly wrapping around their cloaked forms. An elderly woman sat in the corner, cat hair covering her clothes. He didn't go near her… He'd made that mistake once before and vowed never to do it again. She stunk of piss.

Then there was the bartender. He was a middle-aged man in his early forties but his face looked otherwise. The rag he used to clean glasses looked worn and well past its days. He really should change it… His icy blue eyes looked on his with sympathy. He often voiced his thoughts: 'son, what are you doing here?"

To tell the truth, Shane Collins didn't know.

How had he gotten here? To this depressive, humiliating stage of his life? He was 22, he should be out having the time of his life. Instead he was here, renting a less than average room and sleeping on a lumpy mattress. But why? He had enough money; he could afford a well-furnished flat if he wished…

Then why didn't he? The truth was he couldn't. Purchasing a flat meant he had to stay there; he couldn't go through the motels of Morganville, hoping for a glance of the blonde haired beauty that had left him five years previously. No, Shane couldn't give up on what little hope he had left.

Above him he heard the rain pounding on the roof, slowly dripping in through the cracks on the ceiling. It lashed at the windows, tiny knives hoping to drive through the hard, brittle glass. It was a miracle that Shane could see out of the windows at all. The glass had become tarnished with age and cobwebs covered the majority of the surface. Lighting lit up the sky, causing Pissy Old Woman to jump in her chair, her cracked glass of drink spilling down her front.

It would be the only bath she would get in the next month.

Downing the rest of the whiskey, Shane placed the glass beside the other four. He saw the bartender raise his head to see if he wanted another. Shane shook his head. For once he didn't want to waste away in an alcoholic daze. Instead he let his mind wonder down memory lane despite the painful memories that haunted him.

They had started out as friends, in an old house just outside of town. It had been just the two of them, and with no one to interrupt or have a say…things had grown. But they had grown the wrong way. For a year they became fuck buddies and Shane would take him on a regular basis, demanding that he slept with no one else. When they had finished, Shane would kick him out of his bed and the other boy would hang his head before shuffling back to his own room, proof of their activates slowly making its way down his thighs.

If Shane was honest he'd been surprised that the other boy had stuck around that long.

Then one day, things had changed. Shane had come in through the door to see him clutching at something small and white. He'd asked him what was wrong. 'Nothing,' the other had said though his demeanour said different. He'd been shaking like a leaf and he had refused to show Shane was he was holding or meet his eyes. When Shane had taken a step towards him he'd seen the boy's breathing spike. Another step and the boy had jumped to his feet, his eyes wide and panicked with glistening, unshed tears. As soon as the door had been cleared the boy had ran. He'd ran from the house with just the clothes on his back and a few coins in his pockets.

Shane hadn't seen him since.

That had been five years ago. And not a day passed by that Shane didn't regret not going after him. He'd never thought at the time. He'd been foolish and thought that the boy would come back to him.

He never did.

"Daddy! Daddy I'm cold!" A sharp wail snapped Shane out of his thoughts. Who was out in this weather? As if to prove his point, the rain lashed at the windows even harder than before.

Behind him he heard the wooden door creak as someone entered, the noise of the rain growing louder for a second, before the door was shut. Tuning to see who the newcomer was, Shane shifted in his feet to see past the bartender that was speaking to them.

He froze.

It couldn't be. After five years it couldn't be him. No. Shane blinked again. And again. And still the image of the boy (now a man) stayed the same. Over the five years he'd matured and lost the boyish look about him. His eyes were a hard blue, aged beyond his years with harsh experiences. His blonde hair had grown out of its style and now hung in a floppy, sopping mess around his ears. The pale skin that Shane had once caressed was slowly turning blue and his lips shook because of the cold. Tattered, saturated, clothing clung to his thin form: he'd lost weight.

The only thing that stopped his hands from shaking was the small child that clung to his chest. One of his hands gently cupped the back of the child's head while he gently rocked back and forth to hush the crying infant. The infant was in the same state as his Dad. His small hands were blue and his clothing was saturated. From what he could see, he had dark brown hair, similar to Shane's own colour, and his Dad's fair, pale skin. A couple of his Dad's freckles covered his small arms.

"Please," the man was saying, his voice shaking with the cold. "I need a place to stay. I don't have any money, but my son, he can't stay out in that-"

The bartender cut him off. "Sorry, son. I have to make my own living as well…"

"I'll work for the room. I'll do anything, just please. Let me get my son warm-"

"There's barely enough work for myself. You wouldn't be paying your way."

"I'll – I'll," the man stuttered. Even from where he sat, Shane could see the panic in his gentle blue eyes. There shouldn't be panic in his eyes… He should be happy… Not that Shane had made him happy when they'd been together. He'd treated him like something he'd stepped in… Shane winced at the thought. "Please, my son; he's ill! You can't let him stay out in that! I'll – I'll do anything you want me to!"

"Anything?" Even Shane could hear the question wrapped around the man's words. God, the creep… Surely he wouldn't agree to that? Then again, he'd been more or less the same thing to Shane.

"Anything." He nodded shakily, his sapphire blue eyes filling with a fear. "Anything you want…"

Shane stood abruptly. He knew what the man was going to do and he couldn't allow it. He wouldn't allow him to fall to that level. "I'll pay for his room," Shane said over the noise of the thunder and lighting.

He watched as the man's head snapped to the side so his blue eyes locked with Shane's. God, he was just as beautiful as Shane remembered. Sadly he watched the man's chest rise and fall quickly and his hands clutched at the boy's clothing. He saw him shake his head from side to side, his mouth forming silent 'no's.

"You'll pay?" The bartender murmured in surprise before nodding. He went behind the bar to fetch an old, rusty key. "It's beside your room."

This was the man he'd waited half a decade to see again.

Of course he'd pay.

Because Michael Glass was back.

**Hey up, because Blood Bond should be coming to an end sometime soon, I thought I'd try another story! Tell me what you think and if I should carry on or throw away. Thanks! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Shane stared up at the dingy ceiling above his head. Spiders scuttled above him, some dropping down to say 'hello'. He didn't care. He'd been up all night thinking over what had happened. As soon as the bartender had given the key to Michael, the blonde had dashed up the stairs without a backward glance, the infant wrapped securely in his arms. Since then he hadn't seen Michael…

But he'd heard his son…

Just as Shane was beginning to drift off, he'd heard crying. Heart wrenching cries that had cut through the silence. Those of Michael's child.

Michael's child. He still couldn't get his head around it. Since when had Michael turned straight? And straight enough to father a child? From what he'd seen, the child looked around four or five; approximately the same age as the time difference between now and when Michael had ran. Was that why he'd run? Had he knocked up a girl? If so, where was she now and why had Michael taken the child?

Why was he even thinking about this? It had been clear that Michael didn't want anything to do with him because he hadn't even thanked him for the room. Then again, he'd been too occupied with his potentially ill son.

Again the infant's cries penetrated the stony silence. Through the thin walls Shane could hear Michael's desperate attempts to soothe him; his hushing voice sometimes heard in between the cries. Every now and again the floor boards would creak; he was pacing with the child. Shane could hear his voice and he could tell that Michael was near to crying when his son wouldn't co-operate.

Throwing back the thin quilt, Shane quietly crept across the bare, wooden floorboards. Twisting the doorknob, his door swung out onto the open, empty hallway that was lit by one naked bulb that hung from the ceiling on a thin, white wire. As far as he knew, he and Michael were the only ones to occupy any rooms so he wasn't bothered about waking anyone else up. Well, they'd already be awake by now…

The thin, old doors didn't quite meet and there was a centimetre gap between the door and the wall. Shane knew from experience that the gap let awful draughts in. Placing an eye to the gap, he watched as Michael paced back and forth. Tears glistened in the blonde's eyes as he bit his lip in frustration and worry. He rocked him back and forth slowly, in time with his footsteps across the floor boards.

Subconsciously Shane noticed that their clothes were hung over the feeble radiator at the end of the room. Michael's clothes were hung on the end while the child's took centre place on the radiator; the place with the most heat. The child was wrapped in an old, fraying blanket and his dark hair was barely visible over the top. It stuck up in little tufts and a small, chubby hand clutched the blanket tightly. The way Michael looked at the child told Shane that he loved him. That this one infant was his world.

As the minutes passed, the child quietened down enough for Michael to be able to place him on the only mattress in the room. How could he even carry a four year old like that?

"You can come in now," Michael's voice shook and grabbed a blanket to wrap around his waist. He stopped in the middle of the room, his back to the now sleeping child: protective.

The door opened with a small squeal as Shane took one step inside. For a moment they stood in an awkward silence with Shane focussing purely on Michael's face, despite his eyes wanting to stray.

After a moment, Michael broke the silence. "Why are you here?" If Shane looked close enough he could see his pale hands shaking.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Shane said slowly, taking another step towards the blonde.

"I needed a place to stay," Michael murmured after a moment, his head turning to glance at his son. He didn't say anything else, instead he studied his bare feet.

"What's his name?" Shane offered as a way of keeping the awkward conversation going. He walked towards a battered chair and motioned for Michael to sit in the other one. He purposely gave Michael the more comfier looking chair. At first he was hesitant to come over, but eventually he walked over – but didn't take the offered seat.

"Why do you want to know?" Michael said coldly, his piercing blue eyes locking with Shane's.

He held his hands up in surrender. God, who'd put the ten foot pole up the boy's arse? _You did, _the traitorous voice in the back of his mind said. _You were the reason he's in this mess in the first place…_ "I'm just making conversation, that's all. What happened to his mother?"

At this, Michael visibly flinched and he looked back to look at the child once again. Had the mum died in child birth? Ran off as soon as she'd given birth? Had they divorced? Broken up? The list was endless. But Shane was determined to find out…

"His name's William Samuel Glass. As for his mum, that's none of your business," Michael spat vehemently. His eyes were filled with pain and tears and he bit his lip harshly. "W-why do you w-want to know?" He stuttered and Shane was sure he was hiding something.

"I just thought it would be good to know a few things about the man whose rent I'm paying."

Out of the corner of his eye, Shane saw Michael clench his hands into fists in frustration and anger. "It's none of your business," he repeated slowly through gritted teeth. "And I don't need your help."

At his words, Shane smirked. He couldn't help himself. It had come to this. And still the blonde wouldn't accept it. Without Shane's interference he'd either be out in the cold or be warming the bartender's bed until he left. Either way, it wouldn't be pretty. "If I remember correctly, the only reason you're here – and not warming the bartender's bed – is because of me…"

Michael's fists began to shake slightly and his eyes were filling with tears. "Stop it!" he choked out, his fierce blue eyes locking with Shane's. "Stop it!"

"How did you get by all these years? Hmm?" Shane asked, his hands gripping the chair arms as he pushed himself up to stand. "When you ran, all you had were the clothes on your back. And now there's William, you can't make him live this life…" he trailed off as Michael lashed out at him.

The blonde's actions were clumsy and lazy and Shane easily ducked the punch that was aimed at his nose. When he missed, Michael staggered back against the wall. His breathing had spiked and his words were barely audible. "What do you want to know? And what are you trying to say?" His next words chilled Shane to the bone. "You don't want William, do you? You're not taking him! He's mine…he's the only thing I have!" The tears he had been fighting to keep back fell over and he braced himself against the wall. "What do you w-want?"

"Michael, you're sitting here in a bedsit because I paid for it. I haven't seen you for five years. What did you do to earn money for food and shelter?" Shane paused. "I'm not taking William from you, I just want to know."

"What do you want from me?"

"I don't want anything from you."

"Yes, you do! Why do you keep questioning me?"

"I just want to know!"

"And I want you out of my life!" Michael shouted suddenly causing William to roll over in his sleep. "I want you gone! You did me no good when I was with you! It's because of you that I'm in this problem!"

"What problem, Michael?" What was he in? If Shane could help in any way then he would. He'd done everything to track down Michael and now he had him…he wasn't about to let him go easily.

Immediately Michael clammed up. His eyes widened as he realised when he'd just said. His eyes flickered over to his sleeping son and his hands trembled. "Get out," he whispered, his eyes on the floor. When Shane didn't move, he raised his eyes and his voice. "I said, get out!"

Shane took a step towards him. Now there was only a foot between them. From here he could see the way Michael's ribs were beginning to show; he'd have to get some food into him. His deep blue eyes were haunted by his past and they nervously flickered away from Shane's face. "I only want to help you." he could feel the blonde's breath through his shirt. Just like before, Michael was at least half a foot shorted than Shane.

"Daddy?" Michael whipped around quickly, but Shane didn't miss the pained look on his face. "Daddy, who's that?" When Michael turned to Shane (blocking his view of the child) he whispered;

"Look what you've done now!" He licked his lips. "I want you gone, Shane Collins! I don't want you in my son's life!"

**Hey! What do you think so far? Was Shane an ass to say those things and keep pushing? And why do you think Michael's so reluctant to tell him about William? And how do you think he made money over the last five years?**

** Love to know what you think. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Please review! 9 reviews maybe? Thanks! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Shane hadn't seen Michael or William for three days. He'd heard them talking to each other. He'd often stayed up late at night to listen to their quiet murmurings as Michael tried to soothe him into a deep sleep. More often than not, Shane had fell asleep thinking that the blonde was talking to him instead.

So it had been a surprise when he'd opened his door to see the four-year-old playing with a small wooden car outside Michael's door. Small '_vroom vroom' _noises came from the boy as he swivelled around on the floor, the car going in circles around his body. When Shane shut his room door, William's large blue eyes (the exact same as Michael's) stared back at him, expectantly.

"Hey," Shane said awkwardly with a small wave of his hand. For a few seconds William continued to stare at him. He blinked twice before speaking.

"Hey!" he said loudly, the toy car now forgotten. William pushed himself to his feet and took a few slow steps towards Shane. "Who are you?"

"I'm Shane Collins. You must be William Glass?"

"Yeah!"

Hmmm, could he use the child to find out more about Michael? Children, especially four-year-olds, didn't tend to lie. Could he find out more about what happened to his mum? Taking a deep breath, Shane crouched down until he was eye level with William. "It's chilly out here, don't you think?" he carried on when he saw the boy nod. "Do you mind if I come into yours and your Daddy's room?"

William thought for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Daddy says not to go anywhere with…" he paused for a second to think. "…Strangers," he said, seeming pleased that he remembered.

"But I'm not a stranger. I was here last night, you remember, don't you, William? You saw me last night." Shane persuaded gently. Where was Michael? He couldn't hear him anywhere on this floor so he was probably down in the bar area. But what would he be doing there if he couldn't afford anything?

This time William shook his head more vehemently. "You're the one that made Daddy cry-"

"William! What are doing out here? I told you to stay in the ro-" Michael's sharp voice stopped abruptly when he saw Shane crouched down next to his son. "What do you want?" He said lowly, his eyes glazing over with a steely, icy look. If it wasn't for William being there, Shane would have suspected that their greeting wouldn't have been so civil.

"I want to talk to you, Michael. I deserve to know where you've been for the last five years!" Shane wasn't about to let him walk out of his life. Not when he'd just found him again. Michael glanced between Shane and his son before telling William to go back into their room and lock the door. Once the door clicked shut, Michael swallowed thickly.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"That's going to take a while," Michael murmured with a ghost of a smile. He slid down the wall, opposite to Shane.

Following his movements, Shane copied his pose and they both sat outside Michael's door, facing each other in a stony silence. "Tell me everything you can."

"You should remember most of it, Collins," Michael stated. "You were the catalyst of the whole thing. I can't believe you can't even remember this. Especially when you saw William…"

"What's William got to do with this?"

Michael ignored him as if he'd never spoken. "We were fuck buddies, Shane. Nothing more. You used me for a year of my life. The time we spent as friends meant nothing to you. I was just a means of release, you never even used protection. You didn't care about what happened to me." Tears began to glisten in his blue eyes. "I meant nothing to you…" he trailed off but his mouth kept forming the words he wanted to say. Shane only just made out the words '_but you meant everything to me…'_

That was it! No wonder Michael had hated him! He'd been so blind at the time that he'd never noticed Michael's feelings. He'd never noticed the way the blonde looked at him…

_Flashback:_

_Shane pulled out of the sweaty body beneath him. Droplet of sweat ran down Michael's pale, flawless back and his blonde hair stuck to the nape of his neck. Shane couldn't see his eyes. He never could. This was how things were; it had become second nature to Shane. He felt less guilty when he couldn't see Michael's face. Like this, he was just using a hole…a means of release. It was perfectly natural… _

_He only had a small single bed, so he pushed roughly at Michael's shoulder to make the blonde move. Shane never even gave him time to recover from their activities. _

_Michael fell from the bed ungracefully, landing on his side next to the bed. His breathing was still harsh and his cheeks were flushed: one side of his face redder than the other from being pushed into the pillow roughly. He grunted before pushing himself to his feet slowly. A grimace flashed across his face before he covered it well. _

_For some reason, Shane watched as the blonde stood. Normally he didn't bother. Normally he just threw the soiled towel (he didn't want Michael's essence staining his own sheets) to the ground and turned until his back was to the other boy. But this time was different. He saw the way Michael's blue eyes pinned on him, secretly asking him if he could stay. His left hand was outstretched slightly, just a few inches away from touching Shane's damp shoulder. _

"_Shane?" His voice shook with his unasked question. It hung in the air between them, Michael's eyes silently begging him to feel more than the lust filled haze they'd fallen into. _

_Instead, Shane shook his head slightly. _

_He laid and watched as Michael's face crumbled before he clicked his tongue, straightened his back, and raised his head. But what did it matter? He'd already given up what little dignity he had left. He'd become Shane's own little slut, what was worse than that?_

"_F-fine," Michael muttered before turning his back to Shane, proof of their night time activities making its way down his legs._

_Flashback Over_

"…but it doesn't matter now." Michael was still talking. "I moved on and things have changed. I'm not your bitch anymore."

"What about William? When did you have him?" Shane asked, knowing the subject of William was one that had to be handled carefully. He saw Michael stiffen slightly before he answered.

"A couple of months before I left you."

A couple of months before he left? But in that time he'd been sick, really sick. Even Shane had noticed how bad it had gotten. Each day, at least once, Michael would see the food he'd consumed again. Down the toilet bowl. Shane hadn't shown him any mercy though. He hadn't even gotten the other boy a washcloth to wash his heated face or a cup of water to swill his mouth.

He hadn't done anything. But during that time, Michael had obviously been well enough to go and fuck a random woman to be able to have William…. "What happened to his mum?"

"He doesn't have a mum." The way Michael flinched but growled the words caused Shane to question him no more. "I'm the only parent he's got."

**Chasing The Sun**

Shane lay awake once more. He'd listened through the thin walls as Michael had gotten William ready for bed. Now there was silence. Only his own breathing broke through the still air. As he lay there, unable to sleep, Shane found his mind wondering over a familiar subject.

Who was William's mum?

He tried to think back to those few months before Michael had left. Had he seen any girls more than usual? Had any girls been paying more attention to Michal than normal. No, they hadn't… The whole town knew that Michael was gay…

So how would he get a woman?

At the time, Michael didn't own a car so he wouldn't have been able to drive to another state to find someone. And Shane would have surely noticed his absence if he had done…

Unless…

Fragments of their conversations came floating back through Shane's mind.

_"I want you out of my son's life!"_

_ "You're the reason I'm in this problem!"_

_ "You made Daddy cry!"_

_ "But you meant everything to me…"_

_ "You never even used protection…"_

_ "Especially when you saw William."_

_ Michael had been sick for months before hand…_

_ He flinched whenever Shane mentioned his mum. He never gave anything away about William's other parent…_

_ Everyone knew he was gay…_

_ There had been rumours surrounding Michael's own parents for years…_

_ Before he'd ran he'd been holding a small white stick…_

Was he?

Surly not?

No! It wasn't possible! Michael had male parts! Shane had seen them all! No… No… But it all fit in. William had the same exact hair colour as Shane, even down to the kink his hair. And his nose was the same shape as Shane's… The kid even looked similar to Shane's own baby photos.

No… No… Shane shook his head… Nah, it couldn't be that. That was just too weird. Then again, if Michael had thought Shane never cared for him…then it would explain why he ran and didn't talk it out.

Michael would have been out of his mind with panic. He'd have made rash decisions… He'd have been scared and terrified. He wouldn't have been able to contact his parents either because they'd moved away years ago…

Was it possible?

That William Samuel Glass, really should be William Samuel Collins?

**Tell me what you think! More flashbacks or not? And how do you think Michael should react when Shane talks to him? Do you think Shane should talk to him or not?**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! Please review! 15 reviews this time? :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

This was it. He'd waited long enough. Shane hadn't been able to sleep the night through, instead he'd been thinking of numerous scenarios and ways to question Michael about William. There were two ways that he guessed Michael would react: he would calmly tell Shane that yes he was William's other father – fat chance of that happening – or he'd explode and tell him to fuck off. Either way, Shane had his words thought out carefully.

He wanted William in his life. End of. And if he got Michael, well, that would be a bonus.

So that was how he found himself outside Michael's room with his hand raised to knock. Taking a deep breath (well aware that this whole thing could be a misunderstanding) he knocked on the feeble wooden door. It only took a few moments for the door to swing wide open and his eye to meet the cold, blue of Michael Glass. Upon seeing Shane, the blonde stiffened.

"Shane," he said quietly and calmly. His hands told otherwise. One was clenched into a fist while the other held the door open so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He saw him swallow before he gestured for Shane to enter. "Come in."

For a moment he stood in the doorway, mouth agape. Michael had actually _let_ him into his room, willingly… Seconds massed before he regained his composure. Finally, he let the door click behind him. With shaking hands (nervous about what he was going to do) he pulled the dead lock into place. At the sound, Michael's eyes widened and locked with Shane's.

Shane took a step towards him while Michael took one backwards. "We need to talk," he murmured gently, well aware that the blonde didn't want him any closer than he was now. In front of him, Michael took a deep breath while clenching and unclenching his fists.

"What do we need to talk about? There's nothing to talk about." His tone gave his words away and couldn't meet Shane's eyes.

While Michael was looking away, Shane took another few steps towards him. Only when he was a meter away did he finally speak. "I need to know who William's father is."

Michael's breathing spiked but that was the only sign he was affected. The blonde kept his eyes trained on the floor, and he refused to look at Shane. Tense seconds passed before he murmured, "I think you already know who the father is…"

Shane nearly collapsed with relief. Michael was talking to him! He hadn't given him an "Oh my God, you belong in a nuthouse!" look and he hadn't told him to fuck off. In fact, he'd practically admitted to Shane being William's father! Instead he propped himself up against the wall to stop his legs from giving in.

He had a son!

"Why didn't you tell me?" he murmured softly.

A weak, humourless chuckle escaped Michael and he raised his head so Shane could see his watery eyes. "I was scared, Shane. I meant nothing to you and William would have meant nothing to you. I'm not like you, Shane. William means the world to me."

"So you surmised that I wouldn't want anything to do with my son?" Anger rose in Shane like a tidal wave. It flowed through him and he clenched his fists in an effort to control himself. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

Shane saw Michael getting worked up but he didn't care at this minute. "I was your fuck buddy! You didn't even tell anyone about us. I thought you were ashamed. What was I supposed to think? I thought you'd make me get rid of him!" Michael's own voice was rising with every word he spoke and it did nothing to quell Shane's own anger.

"How did you support him? You're staying here because _I _paid for it! The only reason you're eating food is because _I_ paid for it! For the last five years you've been living off the streets with _my _son!" He threw his hands in the air in desperation. His breathing was harsh and he saw Michael flinch in front of him. Shane didn't care. This was his son they were talking about. "What did you do for the last four years? Did you whore yourself out so you could feed yourself?"

It was a low blow and Shane regretted it as soon as the words came out of his mouth. All anger flew out of his system and he saw Michael from a different perspective. A young, scared, _abused_ teenager that was more than confused with everything about him. He'd done what he thought he needed to do. Instead of seeing Shane as a safe haven, he saw him as a monster. Someone who would take away his child… Michael had been scared of him.

Lost in his thoughts, he never saw Michael raise a fist to him. Michael's fist hit him at the side of his face, snapping his head to the side. "You have no right!" Michael screamed, his eyes secretly pleading with Shane. "He's _my little boy!_ I did everything I could for him! Do you honestly think I wanted to 'whore' myself out?" He made a move to hit Shane again. Instead Shane caught his wrist.

In that one touch, Michael's anger and frustration was passed to Shane.

Unconsciously Shane pushed back on Michael, pressing him against the nearest convenient wall. His face was close to Michael's, only inches apart. "I have a right to see _my_ son! I can take you to court, Michael! When they hear of your situation, they'll take William away from you… Let me see him and I won't do that…" His voice dropped to a whisper and he hated the threat in his words. But he had to see William. He had a need to see him grow up. He was his dad after all.

Michael shattered in front of him. "Y-you can't do that!" He bit his lip roughly and his tears spilled over. "He's my baby, you can't do that! No, no! I won't let you!" He pushed against Shane's body but in his weakened state he barely moved him. Michael's blue eyes were anguished as continued to push fruitlessly until sobs took over his body.

His legs buckled and he fell against Shane, shakes racking his body.

Cautiously Shane wrapped his arms around Michael's smaller body. He could feel Michael's ribs through his shirt and it was too easy for him to hold him. "I won't do it, Michael," he found himself saying. "Just let me see him. Let me prove to you that I'm worth it; that we can do this together…" he whispered softly.

They stayed like that for half an hour before Michael became a dead weight in his arms. Glancing down, Shane smiled to himself when he saw Michael's closed eyes. Gently moving him over to the mattress, Shane pulled over one of the thin blankets to cover him. Taking a seat in the corner of the room, he watched over him as he slept.

**Hey up! Sorry for the long wait, I've got no excuse other than writer's block! Hope this chapter wasn't too bad. Please tell me what you think! 17 reviews maybe? Thanks for reading and reviewing! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

He had a son. The knowledge still shocked Shane and shook him to the core. For five years he'd been searching for Michael, and unknowingly searching for the rest of his family. And now he had to do something to help them. He couldn't leave Michael and William alone on the streets.

When Michael had left, Shane had continued with the payments on the small house on the outskirts of Morganville. It would be dusty and probably in need of a touch of paint, but it would do for their needs. Anything was better than living under a bridge or using yourself to get shelter.

Yes, he'd ask Michael if he wanted to join. There were four bedrooms anyway. Shane's, Michael's (he could use it until he felt comfortable to be around Shane once again) and two other bedrooms for William to choose from.

The thought of being with Michael again…the thought was exhilarating. If he could get the blonde to trust him again. Maybe, slowly, over time they would grow to love each other. And not become what they had been previously.

Then Shane thought of the threat he'd spoken to Michael only hours before. He'd threatened to have William removed from Michael's custody. Would Michael only agree to living with him, because of William? If that was the case then would he allow Shane to get close to him? Or would Michael only speak to him if it was needed?

Across the room, the blonde began to stir on the lumpy mattress. After tucking him in, he'd made sure to locate William soon after. When he'd managed to persuade the youngster that he could be trusted, he'd collected William's things together and the few possessions Michael had in a pile beside the radiator. Shane was determined to have them live with him. Even if it meant tying Michael down and carrying him out of this dingy, filthy pub.

As soon as the blonde opened his eyes, they locked onto where Shane was sitting – with William balanced on his knee. All signs of drowsiness disappeared from Michael's eyes when he saw who was holding William. He opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped, a pained look crossing his face. Michael clearly remembered Shane's earlier threat.

For a moment Michael looked lost as he watched Shane interact with William. Out of his eye corner, Shane watched him look about the room. When he noticed the piles of clothing and possessions his eyes widened and filled with fear. "I thought… I thought you said you wouldn't take him? That, if I let you see him then you wouldn't take him!" He hurriedly began to climb from the mattress, the thin blanket pooling around his feet.

When William heard the noise, he became to twist and squirm in Shane's lap. "Let me go!" he protested until Shane placed him on the floor. Instantly he was running towards Michael, wrapping his arms around his leg when the blonde was stood. "Hi, Daddy!" the child beamed up at Michael, his dark brown eyes wide.

"Hey, monster," Michael said jokingly as he attempted to unwrap the child's arms from around his leg. When that failed, he sighed and walked with the boy still attached to him.

From the chair where he sat, Shane watched as Michael paced back and forth. The blonde's hair was stuck up in a mess and the clothes he wore were crumpled from sleep. Even one eyebrow stuck up at an odd angle. Never once had he took notice of these things five years ago. In fact, if he thought back, he couldn't remember much about him other than taking pleasure from him.

"Michael?" He cleared his throat when the other man didn't respond. Only when William tugged on his trouser leg did Michael turn to meet his eyes. His blue eyes were heavy with sadness and his hands shook slightly.

"What do you want? You've already collected his things…"

"I'm not, I'm not taking him away," Shane murmured so William wouldn't here. Upsetting the child wouldn't help his situation with Michael. "I want to know if you'll live with me. Both of you."

In front of him Michael paled and his eyes widened. He looked anywhere but at Shane and eventually focussed on picking out some clean clothes for William. Just when Shane was about to think he wouldn't answer, Michael spoke. "Just look at what happened last time, Shane. And I've got no money, how would I repay you?"

The quick glance Michael sent him was enough to know what the blonde was thinking. "No, you don't have to do anything like that. I just want you near me. It's guaranteed shelter, food and warmth; more than what you'd get out on the streets. And it will be safer for you both too." Taking a deep breath, he tried to get Michael to agree. If he saw it as less of a threat, and that Shane actually wanted him as well as William, then he might agree to it a bit easier. "All I ask is that you give me a chance. Forget about what happened before, we can try again. I just want to get to know you again."

**Chasing The Sun**

An hour later and the three of them had left the pub much to the pub owner's displeasure. Before they'd managed to leave, he'd thrown scathing insults Michael's way. Somehow he'd managed to ignore them while Shane had flipped him off. He couldn't believe that Michael had had to do that to get food. The thought made him sick.

Thankfully the rain had stopped over the last few days but the weather was still overcast and dark grey clouds threatened a down pour. Shane could only wish they'd get to Morganville before it happened. At least there the showers were heavy but brief. Upon seeing the car, an ordinary five door ford fiesta, William had let go of Michael's hand to go up closer to the car.

"Is this your car?" As it stood, the child still hasn't made up his mind what to call Shane. He was unsure about whether to call him Shane or something else. In the car, Shane would have to introduce himself properly to save the child the hassle. "Can we go in it? I've never been in a car."

When Shane reached the car, he unlocked the doors and allowed Michael to choose his seat. After fastening William in the back seat, Michael joined him in the back. He threw a nervous smile at Shane. "I don't want him unfastening himself." As he climbed in, Shane glanced out of his eye corner and let his gaze wonder over Michael. He was slim before but he'd lost weight since. That was something Shane would make sure he put back on. Even if Michael didn't trust him, he could still gain the extra weight. But even though he'd lost weight, he still looked appetising to Shane.

Closing the door behind them, Shane climbed in behind the wheel. Switching the car on, he made sure to ask if everyone was ready. With an excited squeal from William, he reversed out of the old gravel car park.

**Hey up! Sorry for the lateness of this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! How do you think Michael and William will react to living with Shane? And do you think that Michael will trust Shane easily? I'd love to hear your thoughts, thanks for reviewing the last chapter! Please, review! :D xx**


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